Plug cap



`Dec- 27, 1938- I R. A. KEDDY ET AL 2,141,790

PLUG. CAP I Filed Feb, 1958 u l"l /3 /f 1,857 ff* J7 f- X 6 /0/ /32 e 3 FIG. 7

INVENTORS RUSSELL. A. KEDDV Rov ORNEY Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE PLUG CAP Russell A. Kcddy and Roy L. Allaire,

Stamford Conn.

Application February 8, 1938, Serial No. 189,389

' 2 claims. (c l. 173-334) tailed description taken in connection with lthe in the support members I4.

' accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of. the invention is shown. How- 1li over, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the appended claims. 20. In the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation' and partly in section and showing a pair of the plug caps of the invention connected together for the supplying of current from a single outlet to a pair of electrically operated devices (not shown);

Fig. Z'is an elevational view looking into the open side or end of the plug cap of the invention; Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken as along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and l Fig. 4 is an elevational view looking into the open`end of the body or shell ofthe improved cap, the contacts being omitted.'

` Referring 1n detail to`the drawing our improved plug cap includes a body or shell generally designated I0 formed as by moulding or the like and made of any suitableelectrlcal insulating material. Preferably the body Ill is of Bakelite or some similar rather rigid material. The body has an'open end 'I I and at its opposite end includes a' wall I2. y

Within. the body I0 and spaced slightly inwardly from the open end II thereof are support members I3 and I4 preferably formed with the body and also of electrical insulating material. These support members I3 and I4 are space'd from one another circumferentiallymf the body and also cross-wise thereof whereby the central l -body portionis clear and open from the inner side of Wall I2 to the open end II.

`| One support memberv I3 together'with one support member I4 forins a pair andeach'palr of such members' mounts a contact means as will appear.' bers or the ends thereof toward the open side II of the body are at wherebyto comprise shoul- The outer' ends or the support memders on which the contacts,'generally designated I5, are mounted. One contact is mounted on each pair of the support members and each contact includes a mounting portion I6 and an outwardly extending contact blade I'I. 5 Securing means I8 pass through the mounting portions I6 adjacent to the blades I1 and are threadedv or-the like into suitable openings or recesses I9 formed in the support members I3. Mounting portions I6 also carry binding posts 20 10 which when threaded through the mountingportionsare' free to move in the openings 2| provided It is noted that the blades I'I are at the inner sides of the support members- I3 and yet are 15 spaced apart, the central portion of the body being open from the inner` side ofthe thin end wall I2. Blades I1 are approximately at right anglesto the mounting portion I6 'of the contacts and the inner portionsl of the bladesvand 20 the mounting portions I6 are connected by a curve 22 shown best in Fig. 1.v The curve 22 of therespective contacts I5 are located at the inner -surfaces of the supports or support members I3.

In one side Wall toward the open end I the 26 body I0 is provided with an opening 23 for the `entrance of lead wires 24 to be connectedwith the binding posts 20.

Opening 23 Iis located between member I3 of one pair of support mem- `bers and member 34 of the other pair thereoff30 and preferably is close to the open end ofthe body and outwardly with respect to the shoulders or,front faces of the support members. The outer surface of body I0 iscurved back from the open end thereof so that on its outer 35 surface the body is somewhat in the nature of a hemisphere althoughits rear wall I2 is at and provided with apair of'contact. blade entrance slots 25.. Such slots are located to have their edges at each side of the plane'of the opposed 4o faces of the pair of contact blades I1. In other Words the slots 25 ,are in alignment with the curved portions 22 of the contacts vI5 and the respective slotsare so located that the blades of a second cap on being inserted through the slots will engage/thc curved portions 22. and be deflected 1 or .prungtovvard one'another as shownby blades Ila. in Fig. 1.

`In said figure a second 'cap designated I0a carries the blades I'Ia and is mounted on cap ID 5o and such blades I'Ia ofthe second cap are in contact with the blades I1 of cap Ill.` To Yconnect the caps the blades I'I. of cap Illa are inserted` through the slots 25,0f cap'IU and as blades Ila engage the curved surfaces 22 they are de ected 56 toward one another (as they normally have the i ofthe caps is prevented.

`From the foregoing description it will derstood that anydesired number of the c ps I0 same spacing as blades I1) and thus the inserted blades are caused to press or rub against the blades of the cap I0.

The fastening means I8 are so located that the Y blades I'l will not be displaced by the action v described as such fastening means are located -adjacent the points where any strain will be applied. The cap'being open in its central portion inwardly from the inner surface of wall I2A it will be apparent that each time blades are inserted througlfslots 25 there will be a wiping action between the inserted blades andthe blades Vvinto engagement with which they are inserted end of the cap into which they have been inserted.

Otherwise they may engage the cover plate of the receptacle into which the blades of the first cap have been inserted and cause movement of the first cap away fromthe receptacle. When a second cap is connected with a first cap as inu Fig. 1 the action of the blades of the second cap.

.the inserted blades toward one another.

tends to spread the blades of the rst cap and thus lock them in engagement with the contacts of any receptacle into which Such blades may have been inserted.

Opening 23 being located as above set forth it base board or the like mounting the receptacle.

with which the cap may be connected.

may be connected with one another. In each case the inserted blades of a cap will have a forced fit with the blades of the cap intol which they have been inserted whereby a good-electrical contact is insured and whereby casual Obviously asingle cap may be used whereby but one lamp-or other device is to be connected with an outlet. In 'suchkinstance the cap oflthe.

invention is to be used in the manner of an ordinary or standard cap and differs therefrom only 'by the inclusion of the contact blade entrance slots25. D

Having thus set' forth the nature of our in vention, what we claim is: v

separation 1. An attachment plug cap comprising a body of insulating material open at one end, supports formed in said'body at each side of the center thereof and presenting shoulders facing the open end 'of the body, contacts including mounting portions. arranged against said shoulders, each of said contacts including a blade extending outwardly through the open end of the body, said blades spaced apart and arranged at opposite sides of the centery of the body, means rigidly securing the contact mounting portions against said shoulders in the vicinity of said blades, a binding post associated with each of said mounting portions in Aspaced relation to said securing means, said body having an opening through a side wall thereof laterally of and toward the open end of the body from said supports for the passage of wires to said binding posts, said body having` a pair of spaced entrance slots in its other end for the insertion of the blades of another plug cap, said mounting portions and their blades so located with respect to said entrance slots that as the blades of another plug cap are inserted through saidjentrance slots they engage the opposed faces ofV th'eeilrst mentioned blades and are sprung toward one another as the inserting movement continues, said body at the end having such entrance slots comprising a thin Wall, andsaid body centrally open from the inner sidefof said wall to permit of such springing of 2. An attachment plug cap comprising a body of insulating material having an open end, contacts mounted in said body and including blades projecting through the open end thereof, a binding post on each of said contacts, said body having an opening through a side wall thereof for the passage of wires leading to s/aid binding posts, said body having a pair of spaced entrance slots in its other end for the insertion of the blades of another plug cap, said first mentioned blades so located with respect to said entrance slots that as the blades of the other cap are inserted through said entrance slots `such inserted blades engage the opposed surfaces of the first mentioned blades and are sprung toward one another as the inserting movement continues, said body at its end having said entrance slots comprising a thin wall, said body centrally open from the inner side of said wall to permit of such springing of the inserted blades toward one another, and said rst mentioned blades of such lengths that on complete insertion of them through the slots of anothercap the inserted blades will not project through the open end of the cap into which they have been inserted.

RUSSELL A. KEDDY. ROY L. ALLAIRE. 

